Catchup post

Too many articles have held my interest over the past few days but I have not had the time to post so here's a catchup:

1) Events Dear Boy Evens warns us that despite everything seemingly pointing to a set budget and 6 May as the date of the general election that we should be careful:

"But wait. We have to consider the mind of short-term tactical Brown.

It's not like him to walk down the path of the all-so-obvious. He will want to wrong-foot the Tories with some trumped-up dividing lines on Budget Day, as well as sending us voters a few morsels to chew on. Furthermore, there is no better way of throwing the Tories and LibDems election plans into disarray by seeking the dissolution when its least expected.

Be prepared. Brown will pull a few rabbits out of the hat in the coming weeks."

2) The Mail reports yet another story of a victim of crime being arrested as when a

"restaurant owner found two teenage yobs raiding his beer cellar, he chased them and held them while his staff dialled 999.

Sal Miah assumed police would commend him for catching the young criminals.

But when officers arrived they arrested 35-year-old Mr Miah on suspicion of assault and battery."

As is becoming normal the police don't apologise but instead

"Sussex police said Mr Miah should have 'observed from a safe distance' before dialling 999.

The spokesman said: 'On no account should any attempt at aggression be made as this could easily escalate into violence.'"

3) A Tangled Web reports that:

"non-white children born this year will form a majority of the country's newborns for the very first time. By 2050 it will not so much be a case of Uncle Sam as Uncle José.

...

As Hispanics overwhelmingly endorse the Democrats (Obama received 67% of their vote in 2008), what does it say about the chances of the GOP maintaining its dominant hold on the White House in the 21st Century? The 20th Century saw 10 Republicans and only 7 Democrats in the Oval Office. Will America's emerging status as a white minority country reverse that trend? Moreover, what of foreign relations? Will, for example, a future US President anxious to placate an ever-increasing Hispanic voter base look less to Europe for traditional allies?"

4) Trixy reports on the woeful Baroness Ashton's latest appearance in front of the EU Parliament:

"Addressing the Parliament for the first time in the 100 days since she's been appointed the job of EU Foreign Minister, she spoke about the need to, well, remove any concept of nation states within the European Union.

She's the highest paid female politician in the world. I like the way she earns that money with her little school ground impression at the end of the speech."

Here's the video of Mr Paul Nuttall's speech and the always unelected Cathy Ashton's immature response to some much deserved ridicule.


5) The Mail has an interesting article about Frank Field headlined

"The only politician with the guts to speak out about immigration: Frank Field reveals his candid opinion on the future of Britain"

6) Anna Raccoon has a long piece mostly about the power of the people/blogosphere and specifically about Nick Hogan, it includes this rather chilling note

"In the meantime, Russia’s main television channel is flying into Manchester to interview Nick Hogan as part of a special investigation* into the totalitarian regime that they see emerging in Europe – Oh! The irony! Post Perestroika Russia sees Britain as an oppressive regime! Was it only yesterday that we were lecturing them on Freedom?"

7) The BBC seem shocked that the month after the stamp duty holiday ended that

"Mortgages agreed with house buyers fell by 49% from December, after buyers rushed to beat the reintroduction of the old stamp duty thresholds.

There were just 32,000 loans approved for house buyers in January.

The number of loans for first-time buyers fell by 54% in January to 11,300."

Of course no blame is ascribed to Gordon Brown, although they were happy to give kudos to Gordon Brown for the uplift in the economy in the last few months of 2009.